Crosspot from david.sutoyo.com

Remember when traveling by air was more relaxing? No security lines for domestic flights, no taking off your shoes, no liquid ban. Ah, those were the days: flying was simpler, gas was cheaper, and Michael Jordan kept coming back to the NBA. Not so anymore, after that one fateful day (OK, so Michael kept coming back). Now, on top of trying to decide how many shirts I can bring, I have to figure out how many 3 oz bottles I can pack in a 1 qt bag. Unfortunately, these are the regulations that are pretty much out of our control. But during two recent trips I’ve realized that I should probably change that which I can control, namely the airline I choose to fly with.

I’ve been a (perhaps by default) loyal Southwest customer for quite a few years now. Their cheap fares allowed me to overlook the hassle of their first-come, first-serve seating policies (though I must admit that such a policy encourages passengers to be on time, and hence the flight is on time). But now that the regulations have changed, I feel the need to salvage what little dignity I have left when I’m flying. On a trip in September, I flew out of the Southwest home base. On the airport bus, I watch in envy as passengers flying other airlines walked towards terminals with few people and short lines. “Man, we should’ve flown X airline. Oh well, at least our tickets were cheap,” I would comfort myself. Just as I would finish the thought, I am greeted by a Southwest terminal jam-packed with travelers, with check-in lines spilling all over the curb. The lines were so long, I thought I had to wait in line just to get in a line.

The idealist in me can’t seem to accept how flying has changed. No, when I go to the airport and wait for my flight, I don’t want to be confined in a line. I’d like to have a real seat in the waiting area. I want the freedom to wander around the terminal. I don’t want to feel like I’m boarding a bus, or worse yet, feel like an animal being herded along. And when I fly long distance on a direct flight, I want the flight to really be direct. So Chan and I have decided that, after Christmas, we will try flying other airlines. Maybe by doing so, we can reclaim a little bit of our sanity. The good ol’ days of flying may never return, but I certainly hope Michael doesn’t make another comeback.